how stewarding wealth impacts studying the bible
American Christians certainly enjoy greater material wealth than
much of the world, but we also enjoy less tangible forms of wealth as well. We
aren’t always aware of just how wealthy we truly are. And because of this, we may not remember that to whom much
is given, much is required: with great wealth comes great responsibility.
In the parable
of the talents, three men are given an opportunity to show a return on
investments of varying sizes. We are like these men, each given a measure of
wealth with which we are to work to yield a return. I wonder if we recognize
the responsibility associated with the wealth God grants. With regard to Bible
study, I believe American Christians have been given three “talents” not all believers
have been given. These three forms of
wealth, if properly valued, would transform the way we think about the precious
gift and joyful responsibility of studying the Bible.
We've Been Given a Wealth of Access
Having access to the Scriptures is a gift. It is certainly true
that a person can have a vibrant faith without direct access to the Bible. The
Gutenberg press was not invented until 1450, yet many faithful people lived
before its time. Noah, Enoch and Abraham did not have a personal copy of God’s
written Word available for a daily “quiet time”. Nor did Jesus, for that
matter. Believers in parts of the world where the Bible is illegal still follow
hard after God. But let’s apply the principle of “much given, much required” to
those of us living in the United States today.
Statistics show that most of us have a Bible at arm’s length
twenty four hours a day. According to mashable.com,
56.4% of Americans own a smart phone or tablet, meaning they have the
capability to access Scripture with the touch of a screen. That’s before we
consider how many have access through a PC or a hard copy. And no one is going
to arrest us for reading them.
American Christians are never far from a copy of the Bible. We
have been given “much” access. How can we overlook the privilege of such wealth
by leaving our Bibles unopened?
We've Been Given a Wealth of Education
Education is a second gift we American Christians enjoy. It is
certainly true that an illiterate person can have a vibrant faith. Surely God
meets us according to our educational opportunities. Where education is
unavailable, we can trust that He graciously grants sufficient knowledge of
Himself to those who cannot gain it through the written Word. American
Christians, however, are the recipients of much opportunity to read and
understand the Bible. While literacy
rates around the world vary
widely, The U.S boasts a literacy rate of greater than 96%.
Consider these findings by the U.S Census Bureau: “In 2009, more than 4 out of 5 (85
percent) adults aged 25 and over reported having at least a high school diploma
or its equivalent, while over 1 in 4 (28 percent) reported a bachelor’s degree
or higher.”
American Christians are well-educated and are capable of reading
the Bibles they have access to. We have been given “much” education. How can we
overlook the privilege of such wealth by claiming Bible study is optional or too
hard?
We've Been Given a Wealth of Time
Discretionary time is a third gift American Christians have been
given. It is certainly true that a person who must give every waking moment to
survival can have a vibrant faith, even without being able to give time to
Bible study. Discretionary time is time free from obligation to work or meet
basic needs. And despite our perception that there is never enough time in the
day, we Americans actually enjoy more than our share.
Unlike our forebears and our contemporaries in third world
countries, we enjoy the benefits of time-saving and labor-saving devices, not
to mention the protection of labor laws. A recent study spanning five decades of research
found that leisure time in the U.S. has increased by 7.9 hours per week on
average for men and by 6.0 hours for women between 1965 and 2003. Increasingly
freed from survival to self-actualization, we enjoy more discretionary time
than generations before us could ever have imagined.
American Christians are well-provided with discretionary time to
apply our educated minds to our accessible Bibles. We have been given “much”
time. How can we overlook the privilege of such wealth by claiming we’re too
busy to give time to Bible study?
Much Given, Much Required
Between the covers of the
Bible we find a full revelation of what the prophets understood only in part, a
declaration of the mystery into which angels long
to look. In addition to having been given the riches of this great mystery,
we American Christians have been given access, education and time to
appropriate it for our good. Let it be said of us that these “talents”
entrusted to us were not spent on lesser investments or left to languish. Let
it be said that we understood the great responsibility of having been given
much - that we used the gifts of access, education and time to plumb the depths
of the mysteries of God as revealed in His Word, and that the transforming
results paid a dividend to the ends of the earth.